Ashgabat, 26 February 2019: In the beginning of 2019, UNDP conducted trainings on generating business ideas for youth of various age groups, educational and professional backgrounds in the cities of Ashgabat, Tejen, Mary, Turkmenabat, Turkmenbashi and Dashoguz. The training took place as part of the regional project on  “Strengthening Community Resilience and Regional Cooperation to Prevent Violent Extremism in Central Asia”, that is generously funded by the Government of Japan and aims at empowering young men and women and at providing opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial skills and participate in the country’s labour market.

“I really like how the trainings were structured. It helped me to draw my attention to something else than my current status of a job seeker.  UNDP experts showed us inspiring videos and real-life examples. The trainings were also held in a way that we could interact with each other rather than hearing a monotonous lecture,” commented Natalya, a returning alumnus and one of the participants of the trainings.

The targeted audience included a group of young people aged 18-35. The trainings provided opportunities for networking and capacity building. After each day of the trainings, participants were requested to provide a feedback.

“We believe that providing opportunities and developing skills for doing small business could raise the potential of young men and women to organize their own startups and become self-employed, which, in turn, will help them to become successful and accomplished in life.” stated Mehri Karakulova, UNDP Project Coordinator.

The training engaged around 200 young people and also mobilized local partners, including national Labor and employment services, youth centres and local administration. Participants witnessed that these trainings sparked interest in community development and some ideas included opening a book club and holding regular youth assemblies to discuss common interests.